Screening Calls Classic or Dud

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People who screen all their calls. And then complain about how no one leaves messages. Gah. I think they are mentalists.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I just leave the phone off the hook.

― turner, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

supreme mentalists.

most days i just let the voice mail pick up. most people who know me expect a call back a few minutes later. or not.

― jess, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

When stupid-ass telemarketers call EIGHT TIMES on a Sunday, you bet your ass call screening is an outright classic. Also helps when you're just not in the mood to talk.

If you have call waiting, there's no problem. If you don't, and wait until the stupid answering machine picks up (...Dad...Mom...), then you should be chastized in public. By a stranger. Many, many times.

― David Raposa, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Classic. But dud if you don't return the calls -- or if you said you were going to be around to pick up the phone, and aren't.

Calls that are important will be left as messages.

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It's is like a scale model of existential angst - you are called to action yet do not move. The prime mode of the phone is to interrupt, upon which screeners DO NOT IMPROVE yet are held in thrall. Face your fears. Be done with it.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't have a home phone but when I did I wouldn't answer it between midnight and 10am. Actually, I wouldn't answer it most of the time because I'd never given my number to anyone I actually wanted to speak to.

Now I only have a mobile and that has Caller ID. If it comes up as a Restricted Number I will usually not answer it - quite a few of my friends have Restricted Numbers so they just have to leave messages (and I have to pay to call them back). I prefer email.

― toraneko, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

My cellphone has caller ID on it too, and the one time I actually didn't answer it to avoid talking to the person, they left a long, tearful message about needing me and asking me where the hell I was. I felt very bad and I think that talking to him then might have been less painful than guiltily returning his call the next day.

― rainy, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Do you really call mobiles cellphones in NZ?

― toraneko, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

We call them all the names I think. Mobile, cellphone, beeping item, um... I can't think of any others. Is it uncool to say cellphone?

― rainy, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"cellie" is preferred in brooklyn.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought only Americans called them cellphones, that's all.

― toraneko, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

WHY do people find it so hard to leave messages? They don't have to be great oratory or anything, just leave a goddamn message!

The reason I screen my calls is I don't want somebody to ring me up with bad news or a family death or something, when I'm in an S Club 7 type of mood.

― dave q, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I screen when I am late on a writing deadline to avoid being spoken at by the production editor, eg "where is it?" I'm still working on it. "But we really need it." (Well, d'oh). Well, keeping me on the line won't make me write any faster. "When?" Oh, about an hour, if NOBODY BOTHERS ME.

― suzy, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"cellie" is preferred in brooklyn

Yet another word I will never, ever say. That sounds so moronic, what's the matter with you Brooklynites?

I don't screen, I'm just never around and then I forget to check voice mail anyhow. But I never want to answer the phone anyhow. Sometimes I screen on my cell phone, actually, because I have caller ID.

― Ally, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

People don't leave messages, dave, because they want to talk to you, not your machine, and are too embarrassed to simply say so on tape.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay guys- it's not just Americans that call them cell-phones we very un-American Canadians also call them that. And here's the deal on call screening, Grow some balls! God, if you don't want to talk to someone tell them to f*** off! If you're just not in the mood to talk, then pull the damn plug outta the wall! Otherwise pick up your goddamn phone and either talk to the person or tell them you'll call them back when you're done jerking off!! Okay that sounds kind of rude but by now you should be getting the picture.

― Jenny, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

why wait til you're done?

― ethan, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

People who hang up on answerphones obviously think the person they're calling is has nothing better to do than sit two feet away from the phone all day awaiting their call. Like they're never in the bath, or have just locked the door behind them when the phone rings.

― dave q, Wednesday, 7 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

my mum used to leave nothing but a vast exaggerated sigh

however since my message is now merely me whistling the buffy themetune v.soulfully she cannot help giggling

― mark s, Wednesday, 7 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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